As motion picture and photographic recording tasks become more sophisticated and complex, the need for systems that can position a camera or other equipment with speed and precision has increased. In addition, recording equipment has evolved into a wide variety shapes and form factors. Often these different form factors require different devices to properly mount and control the equipment. Traditionally, these different types of equipment required different mounting fixtures of different equipment sizes and configurations. As the cost for using these more sophisticated devices increased, interest developed in finding ways to adapt standardized mounting and positioning gear to work with a wide variety of equipment. Various designs for equipment mounting and positioning systems have been developed. The present invention utilizes modular design concepts to provide precision flexible mounting and control of a wide variety of equipment, easily and rapidly adapted to a variety of circumstances at a reasonable cost.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,540, issued to King et al., discloses an apparatus for holding a camera adjacent a tube sheet having a plurality of tubes disposed therein and for providing pan and tilting movement of the camera. The invention comprises a base, a sleeve rotatably disposed in the base and having internal threads, a threaded shaft threadedly engaging the sleeve and a drive for rotating the sleeve to move the base up and down the shaft. The apparatus also comprises a bracket disposed on the base, a camera platform pivotly mounted on the bracket and a drive for pivoting the platform with respect to the bracket. A pin insertable in a tube and incorporating a device for expanding the pin in holding engagement with the tube to hold the apparatus in the tube and a device for rotating the platform to provide panning of the camera, is also incorporated in the apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,233,634, issued to Adams is directed to a video camera tilt and pan head that includes a bifurcated support which is free to pivot about a vertical axis for the “pan” action of the video camera. A camera cradle receives the video camera and the cradle is provided with slots and a tie-down bolt such that the camera is adjustable horizontally with respect to the cradle. The cradle is supported on transverse mounting pivots secured in the support. The pivots clamp in vertical cradle slots, enabling the cradle to be adjustable vertically with respect to the pivots. The pivots may be tubular to act as sight tubes to locate the cradle and camera with respect to the desired pivot axes. A tray extends from the cradle to receive weights to counterbalance the extension of the video camera beyond the transverse pivots. The camera exterior is indexed to indicate the point at which the axes of each of the red, green and blue receptors intersect the lens axis of the camera. This point establishes the desired path for tilt and pan axes. Motorized gear drives accomplish tilt and pan motions of one camera in response to the selective movement of like pan and tilt gears on a companion camera such that the companion camera and a camera fixed in the mount of the invention move in synchronism.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,268, issued to Wheeler et al. illustrates a remote operable pan and tilt mount for a television camera or the like which is capable of 360 degrees of pan rotational in either direction, accurately positionable and repositionable to a selected 1/100 of a degree of arc in either pan or tilt rotational position, has accurate rotational speed control through a wide range of operational speeds, has good starting and running torque and can be remotely operated manually or by computer control.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,839, issued to Coughlan et al. discloses a motorized pan/tilt head and support member for mounting a video camera or the like. A pan/tilt head is mounted upon a first end of the support member. This head is substantially U-shaped, with a bottom cross member and parallel legs at opposite ends of the cross member. The video camera or the like is pivotally suspended between the two legs. Electric motors housed within the cross member and legs, provide panning and tilting motion through the use of gear mechanisms attached to the motors. In order to provide closed loop control, position sensing devices are driven by each of the motors to provide an output signal related to position. The electrical wires of the components pass along the central axis of the support member and terminate at an electrical plug at the second end thereof. This plug mates with a second portion affixed to a surface to which the support member is to be releasably attached.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,367, issued to Blackshear is directed to a surveillance camera system that comprises a spherical housing having a partially transparent lower, hemispherically shaped gold coated dome with a geometric center. A camera mount is mounted in the housing for panning movements about a vertical pan axis and tilting movement about a horizontal tilt axis. A video camera is mounted to the camera mount and electric motors are mounted for panning and tilting the mount and camera. A computer and control circuit is mounted to the camera mount and coupled to actuate the electric motors to orient the camera and to actuate the camera zoom and focus as well as to enhance the camera's video image with descriptive word captions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,432, issued to Kalim discloses a computer-controlled miniature pan/tilt tracking mount for the precise control of position, velocity, and acceleration of small payloads (e.g., a video camera). The invention consists of a motorized rotational tilt axis mounted atop a motorized rotational pan axis. For both axes, a worm gear mounted upon the motor shaft bidirectionally rotates a worm wheel mounted upon the orthogonal load axis shaft. A large ratio of motor size to armature weight provides high relative torque, speed, and accuracy. The worm gears provide compact reduction with minimal backlash and they can hold position without energized motors to conserve power for battery-operated uses. The invention includes integrated motor drive power electronics and microcontroller execution of host computer commands to effect precise control of pan/tilt mount speed, acceleration, position, configuration, and motor and electronics power consumption. Superior motor drive capabilities are achieved by the use of pulse-width modulation (PWM).
It is an objective of the present invention to provide precision pan and tilt control for mounting cameras and other similar equipment. It is a further objective to provide such precision positioning control through a system that is readily adaptable to equipment of different sizes and proportions. It is a still further objective of the invention to provide a system that can be easily assembled and disassembled for reconfiguration under changing field circumstances. Finally, it is an objective of the present invention to provide these capabilities is a system that is inexpensive and rugged.
While some of the objectives of the present invention are disclosed in the prior art, none of the inventions found include all of the requirements identified.